The decision to send the creative midfielder to France raised some eyebrows among the fanbase, but the Arsenal leader is adamant that it is the correct path. He stressed that at this specific stage of a player's development, nothing is more valuable than competitive minutes. Marseille offers a high-pressure environment with a passionate fanbase, which should serve as the perfect "finishing school" for the Englishman, who got off to a perfect start in France with a goal in the 3-1 win against Lens at the weekend.
"I wanted to mention Ethan Nwaneri, and to wish him luck with his loan spell at Marseille – it certainly started well with his goal at the weekend! I went on loan a few times when I was a young player and so I spoke with Ethan before he left about it," he wrote.
"We spoke about what he was feeling about his situation and the opportunity, and I understand it - I’ve been there too. Obviously you always want to play more, so this will be a good move for him. I'm sure he's going to do well there and hopefully get a lot of opportunities to show his qualities and his talent."
He added: "At that stage of your career, you need to play games to grow even more and it's a chance for him to take more responsibility and to grow as a player, and as a person." The midfielder believes that experiencing a different footballing philosophy will make the starlet a more rounded technician when he eventually returns to the Premier League.
Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights withGOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!